


even when the night changes

by perksofbeingaiko



Category: Emmerdale
Genre: Canon Compliant, Drabble, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-23
Updated: 2018-02-23
Packaged: 2019-03-22 19:39:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,054
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13771131
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/perksofbeingaiko/pseuds/perksofbeingaiko
Summary: The realities of the morning after Robert and Aaron's reunion.





	even when the night changes

**Author's Note:**

> This is not intended to be negative to Alex in any way.

The sound of knocking startled Robert from his sleep, his eyes going wide before he settled again, the warmth of the bed lulling him as he blinked his eyes slowly. Blearily, he noted that it was barely after 7:30 AM, the sun begging to peek behind the curtains as the day started around him. The duvet was a mess at the bottom of the bed, and the sheet was twisted around one of Robert’s ankles, a product of his restless legs throughout the night. He couldn’t count the number of times he woke chilled from the night because he’d unwittingly kicked the blankets off himself. It was his other leg, though, the one currently pinned down by Aaron’s – _the way he always used to do to stop Robert from kicking him_ – that caught his attention.

They had fallen asleep facing each other last night, whispering gently until their words slurred incoherently from sleep. Aaron’s even breath had tickled Robert’s nose as he drifted off, but Robert was quick to follow behind. At some point he must have turned so that his lower back curved against Aaron’s stomach, Aaron’s forearm draped over Robert’s waist.

Like their bodies remembered what it used to be like.

_Old habits._

The sound of the door going again, followed by feet stomping down the stairs woke him fully. He listened hard, scooting back toward Aaron’s chest as he did so. Aaron gripped him tighter, nuzzling his nose into Robert’s neck.

“Mornin’,” Aaron greeted with a graveled voice, and Robert brought Aaron’s hand up to his lips to press a kiss to his palm before holding it to his chest.

Robert could hear muffled voices from downstairs, but couldn’t quite make out what they were saying. From the way Aaron stilled, he guessed Aaron was listening for the voices as well.

Before long, Liv’s voice called through the house.

“Aaron!” she yelled, and Aaron sighed, pressing a quick kiss to Robert’s shoulder before untangling himself from him. Robert rolled out of bed as well, dressing quickly along with Aaron and trying not to stumble as he got himself into his pants.

Aaron gave him a comical wide-eyed look – _brace yourself_ – before winking, easing Robert’s obvious tension immediately. He opened their bedroom door to face whatever it was Liv was in a tizzy about, Robert’s bare feet chilled against the cold floor. Robert had meant to buy a rug for the hallway, but everything had happened before he got the chance to. Aaron made his way down the steps first, stopping just before the landing so that Robert nearly ran straight into him before Robert could see who it was.

He’d been expecting Chas, or maybe Paddy. Didn’t think it’d be too bad to tell Liv and Aaron’s mum all at once in one go.

Instead –

“Hi,” Aaron greeted Alex awkwardly, his eyes jumping from Liv to Alex and back to Liv, before looking back at Robert quickly. He looked away from Robert immediately, but Robert knew it wasn’t from embarrassment.

_Well, mostly._

“What’s he doin’ here?” Liv bit out, pointing at Robert. “Thought Alex was meant to be movin’ in.”

“I’ve actually come to pick up my stuff,” Alex said evenly, noting the suitcase still propped up next to the couch that hadn’t even been unpacked. “Thought I’d better come sooner than later, to avoid any _awkwardness_. Guess I figured wrong.”

He hadn’t noticed last night. He’d barely been able to tear his eyes away from Aaron long enough to make it up the stairs in one piece, but now in the light of day the living room looked a bit _sad_. Alex’s things were still packed away in his suitcase, the golf clubs and miscellanea he’d probably meant to display elsewhere haphazardly resting on the armchair. He knew if he looked in the upstairs bathroom he’d find a bag of Alex’s toiletries, used but not quite laid out like they had a proper home.

To Alex, this house was meant to be his proper home.

_At least things ended quickly. Don’t have to do much to get your stuff back out of here._

Robert bit his tongue against his thoughts, instead looking to Liv whose eyes flickered between a hundred different thoughts, settling on shaking her head and pushing past Robert, storming up to her room. Robert supposed it was a good thing Gerry was a heavy sleeper. He didn’t think he could do with one of Gerry’s comments right now.

“Alex, I-” Aaron started, but Alex just smiled sadly and shook his head.

“It’s alright. It’s not like I didn’t see it coming. Just, take care of him, yeah?” Alex said to Robert with that same sad smile, and Robert fought the urge to tell him that he didn’t have much of a right to tell Robert how to treat Aaron at all. Instead, he just nodded, and his arms felt heavy beside him, like _he_ was the one not meant to be there.

Aaron followed Alex out to his car, taking his suitcase for him, and Robert felt his heart pang with affection.

Even now, Aaron was kind.

Robert stood there for a second, taking in the silence of being left alone in the living room, before busying himself with the kettle. He heard the front door close and Aaron blow out a breath of air before feeling Aaron walk up behind him, his hand on Robert’s back and his forehead resting on Robert’s shoulder.

“’M sorry about that. I didn’t even think about him comin’ to get his stuff,” Aaron apologized, and Robert turned to hug Aaron fully, whispering a gentle “hey” that seemed to calm Aaron from the mess of thoughts undoubtedly flying around his head. They stood like that, nearly starting to sway before Robert pulled away, holding Aaron by the shoulders.

“Fancy cooking me a fry-up to make up for it?” he teased, and Aaron just swatted his side before turning to the pots and pans cabinet, the pair of them moving on with their morning.

Robert knew they’d have to talk again, and would probably be talking about this for the next month solid, but for now he turned on the radio to some top 40s channel that he knew Aaron would scoff at and grabbed their mugs to pour the coffee.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm at [strongboyfriends](http://strongboyfriends.tumblr.com/)


End file.
